It’s like a massive push to keep the American people ignorant to the benefits of having healthcare, and this push is happening in Republican governed states.
Take Texas for example. A new Rule in Texas makes it illegal for anyone to advise someone else on what healthcare to get or the benefits of getting healthcare. The new law even ban those who are trained in providing this information, from providing the information.
The counselors tasked with helping uninsured Texans navigate their way through the complicated process of buying health insurance will have to jump through a series of hoops to get licenses under new rules proposed by the Texas Department of Insurance.
The so-called navigators would have to prove their citizenship or employment eligibility, undergo a background check and show evidence of financial responsibility under the new rules, proposed Tuesday by Texas Insurance Commissioner Julia Rathgeber.
They would also have to receive 40 hours of education on Texas-specific Medicaid and privacy standards, then show proof that they have the proper training to guide consumers to the right health plans.
Navigators would be prohibited from charging for their services and from recommending specific health benefit plans to consumers. The proposed rules would also restrict navigators from providing advice on the substantive benefits or comparative benefits of different health plans, the department said.
“In Texas, we are being vigilant about safeguarding privacy and keeping personal information out of the wrong hands,” Rathgeber said in a statement. “These proposed rules address insufficiencies in federal regulations and make the training and qualifications of navigators in our state more readily apparent to consumers and service providers.”
It makes absolutely no sense! To be a Navigator in Texas, the individual must prove their citizenship, go through a background check and show evidence of financial responsibility. And if the get through all that, there is a 40 hour training program they must go through. And at the end of it all, Navigators are still bound by this new rule, and cannot educate people on healthcare.
How dumb is that!
